The heaviest rain in months is forecast for Philadelphia

A powerful storm is expected to bring the heaviest rainfall in more than four months to the Philadelphia region, sparking thunderstorms with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour on Wednesday afternoon, with some power outages possible.

Forecasters said a total of 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain would fall late Tuesday night into early Thursday, with isolated amounts of up to 3 inches.

Do you miss the drought yet? Don’t worry: the rains won’t be enough to eliminate the region’s drought, and drought warnings will almost certainly remain in effect. However, if forecasts hold true, this would be the most rainfall since the August 6-9 rains, when just under 3 inches were recorded at Philadelphia International Airport.

An indication of the severity of this storm is the fact that its strong southerly winds will push temperatures well into the 60s on Wednesday, about 20 degrees above normal, flirting with a record for that date. The measured values ​​will then develop steeply in the other direction.

Given the newly saturated ground and the threat of gusts, there could be power outages and tree damage, said Paul Fitzsimmons, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office. “But probably nothing that would have widespread distribution.”

Peco spokesman Brian Ahrens said, “It’s on our radar.”

What time is the storm expected to peak in the Philadelphia region?

The best estimate for peak winds in the immediate Philadelphia area would be between 2 and 4 p.m. Wednesday, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bob Larsen. “This is the best estimate of a potential squall line and thunderstorms moving through the area,” he added, and of course is subject to change.

The center of the storm, whose intensity could reach the technical threshold to be considered a “bomb,” will follow a southwest-northeast track passing west of Philly. Because the region lies east of the center, there will be strong, warm southerly winds as the storm circulates counterclockwise.

The cold front that follows the storm is expected to approach the region during the afternoon, and after it passes, winds will become more westerly. They will continue howling Thursday, but not quite as vigorously as the day before, forecasters said.

A wind advisory for gusts up to 50 mph is in effect for the Jersey Shore from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, but inland similar peak gusts could occur with any thunderstorm, the weather service’s Fitzsimmons said.

The gusts, he said, would depend on how much of the strong winds in the upper atmosphere were mixed up to the surface.

Is flooding a problem for the Philadelphia region?

Apart from traffic jams on the road and in areas around clogged drains, no.

Under normal conditions, amounts comparable to these forecasts could justify flood monitoring.

But rainfall deficits — more than 8 inches in Philadelphia over the past 90 days — remain enormous, and river and stream levels remain low.

How cold will it be after the storm passes?

Very. This will be the coldest air of the season so far. Temperatures will not rise above 30C on Thursday or Friday and may fall into the teens in areas outside the city on Friday morning.

This will be followed by a warm-up period over the weekend – and more rain – although it won’t be quite as warm as Wednesday.

Highs are expected to reach the mid-60s; The record for December 11th is 68 degrees and was set in 2021.

Notably, in 1966, readings reached 70 on both December 9th and 10th, followed by 30cm of snow on Christmas.